Division of labour
Division of labour is defined as the
technique of breaking down a production process into a large number of separate
and simple operations.
Specialisation of
labour is defined as the way in which each worker employs in doing a
particular task or occupation rather than being a ‘jack of all trades’. It can be stated that division of labour
leads to specialization of labour.
Advantages of division of labour
1-It enables the workers
to choose a job according to their own interest and ability. Division of
labour creates a large number of different jobs. Hence, make it easier for a
worker to decide a task which suits his/her willingness and ability.
2-It saves time when the
task is divided among many workers. As practice makes a person perfect, a specialized
worker can easily learn and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to carry
out the task with greater speed and confidence.
3- It also saves tools as
each worker concentrate on single task with few movements. If a worker
concentrates on number of tasks, he/she needs to keep number of tools. For a
large part of time most of the tools will be idle as a worker can work with one
or few tools at a time. But, a specialized task requires only one set of tool.
4-It allows the use of
machinery as workers are assigned with specialist tasks. When a complex
production process is broken down into smaller operations, it is easier to
device machines to carry out the simple operations. Division of labour assists
the mechanization of production.
5-It increases the
productivity as the workers can show their maximum performance. The several
advantages of division of labour enhance the efficiency of workers and also
increase the productivity of firms.
Disadvantages of division of labour
1-It creates boredom and
frustration as a labourer
repeats a single task constantly. The advantages such as higher wages and
shorter working hours due to mass-production may not satisfy the specialized
workers as monotony causes dissatisfaction.
2-It leads for loss of
skills as the use of machines replaces the labour and each worker focus on one single task.
As machines are devised to carry out some simplified tasks of the complex
production process, workers may lose those skills performed by machines. A person
may own various skills and talents, but if he/she becomes specialized on a
particular task, he/she may forget the other skills and talents. This also
reduces the flexibility of workers.
3-It causes
interdependence between workers as the outcome depends on the performance of
all workers. The carelessness or inefficiency of one or few workers affect
the performance of whole team and also absenteeism of workers may disrupt the
whole process. Specialization makes us all dependent upon one another.
4-It is responsible for a
lack of variety as products become standardised with division of labour. Division of labour
requires a large market to carry out mass production. Hence, specialized firms
concentrate on one or few products and produce enormous quantity of those
identical products. This limits the varieties of goods available in the market.
